The Peru Two are two women from the United Kingdom, Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid, who were arrested on 6 August 2013 on suspicion of drug smuggling at
Jorge Chávez International Airport,
Lima, Peru
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
, after their luggage was found to contain of
cocaine.
They had flown from
Ibiza, Spain
Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its la ...
where they were on holiday. McCollum was a native of
Dungannon
Dungannon () is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 14,340 at the 2011 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council had its headquarters in the ...
,
Northern Ireland while Reid was from
Lenzie,
Scotland. The two initially claimed they had been coerced by an armed gang but subsequently pleaded guilty. On 17 December 2013, the pair were
sentenced
Sentenced was a Finnish gothic metal band that played melodic death metal in their early years. The band formed in 1989 in the town of Muhos and broke up in 2005.
History
Early years (1988–1991)
Sentenced started in 1988 as Deformity and c ...
to six years and eight months' imprisonment. In the Ancón 2
prison, they took up coveted training positions in
beauty therapy
Cosmetology (from Ancient Greek, Greek , ''kosmētikos'', "beautifying"; and , ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia'') is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty include hairstyle, hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/p ...
in a bid to become
hair stylists.
In early 2016, both
women sought to return to the
United Kingdom. McCollum applied to be freed on parole, and was released on 31 March 2016, with the prospect of having to remain in Peru for up to six years. In April, the Peruvian authorities agreed to expel Reid from the country; she was released from prison on 21 June and immediately returned to Britain, arriving at Glasgow airport the following day. McCollum returned to
Europe two months later, arriving at
Dublin airport in Ireland on 13 August 2016.
The women have received extensive press coverage in
Peru, the
United Kingdom,
Ireland and other countries since their arrest. They were featured on the
Channel 4 documentary ''Brits Behind Bars: Cocaine Smugglers'', which aired on 10 October 2015, and detailed how
drug mules are trained.
McCollum has written a book about her experiences entitled ''You'll Never See Daylight Again''.
In October 2022 the documentary, ''High: Confessions of an Ibiza Drug Mule'', based on Michaella McCollum's experiences, became available for streaming on Netflix.
This documentary contains some factual differences and omissions from previous quotes from her book.
In July 2023, ten years after her arrest, McCollum graduated from the
University of Ulster with a
Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business Management, Marketing and Related Support Services.
References
External links
*
{{crime-stub
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
2013 in Peru
Alumni of Ulster University
British drug traffickers
British female gangsters
British people imprisoned abroad
Female criminal duos
Female prisoners and detainees
People educated at Lenzie Academy
Prisoners and detainees of Peru
Quantified groups of defendants